Chapter 26:

The interior of the cabin was simple, clean, and much larger than it appeared on the outside. The ceiling was high and thick, sloping beams. There were two levels instead of one, of walls with high struts. The cabin was also richly ventilated by high windows with double dressing rooms. The subtle and aromatic fragrance that tickled Sascha's nostrils, filled her lungs with each breath, while a feeling of calm and serenity spread through each of her nerve endings. The origin of this fragrance was the various bouquets of dried and green herbs hanging from the walls and ceiling, the place was a herbalist's paradise.

She took a deep breath, drawing more of that delicate fragrance to her. However, the feeling of calm met an instant death as Sascha's eyes fell on the otherworldly creature dozing around a worktable in one of the corners of the cabin.

"I can see! How can I see it? " An expression full of wonder and surprise flashed on Sascha's face. It was well known that only a small number of beings on earth could see spirit beings on Earth.

Unknowingly, she took a step closer to it. Her pair of eyes like emeralds shining brightly as she admired the scene before her. A scene in which a reddish-skinned salamander, the body of a reptile wrapped in a flame, dozed under the legs of a small pewter cauldron. The intensity of his fire heated the cauldron and the potion bubbling inside it slowly cooked inside.

Melida released Sascha, and ran to the work table, stirring the concoction with one hand while with the other hand she plucked a petal from a translucent flower with a mystical and mysterious aspect. What kind of plant was that? It was the first time Sascha had seen this kind of flower in her life and yet her eyes sparkled with recognition.

That glitter! That otherworldly appearance! Instantly Sascha's expression flashed with reverence and longing because she was not in the presence of any kind of herbs.

Spiritual herbs! In this world, there were three types of herbs. Medicinal herbs, magic herbs, and lastly, occupying the apex of the universe, were the Spiritual Herbs. Not a thousand years would be enough to find this kind of otherworldly grass. That a simple herbalist like her could admire one, let alone several, was simply ...

Inconceivable! Sascha pinched her cheek, her graceful calm and her seriousness shattered into a thousand fragments.

"How is it even possible?" Sascha exclaimed, her eyes clear and bright. Now that she was aware of it, the young woman easily discovered the set of flowerpots on the shelf on the wall behind the workbench.

Melida's white eyebrows went up. That she noticed her salamander was no surprise, the spirit didn't usually hide from view after all, but spirit herbs were another matter. Could the girl see them? Melida watched Sascha's expressions and reactions with great interest.

For a natural herbalist to differentiate a magic herb from a common one, it was standard and the natural order of the world, but to be able to see spirit herbs? Now that was something completely unnatural and noteworthy, after all the spiritual herbs, they were capricious and had no interest in the mundane plane, therefore, except for Witches, monsters, and powerful demons no one else could see them. Needless to say, of a little human girl.

And yet the sparkle in this girl's eyes was not fake. From the short time they had been together, Melida knew that the young woman had a natural talent for hiding her emotions and thoughts, but she doubted that her acting skills would be able to deceive her. So she was real, this girl could see what she shouldn't be able to see.

What an interesting girl.

Unaware of the calculating gleam in the witch's eyes, Sascha leaned over and studied the various specimens on the table with star-filled eyes.

"Do you know that there are three earthly kingdoms on earth? true?" the witch's words cut through the haze clouding Sascha's thoughts.

She reluctantly drew her attention away from the spirit herbs before nodding. "Lamia, home of demons. The Forest Empire, the home of monsters, and the Worldly Kingdom, the home of humans. " Sascha counted on one hand.

Melida blinked, her amethyst eyes twinkling as a sudden oppressive aura filled the hut, forcing Sascha back. She stopped when realizing this, but still, the urge to run away from her didn't go away, rather increased. She breathed through her teeth and in her heart she thanked the mana pills because thanks to them she was able to cope with the pressure of the witch's magic aura.

"Was it the temple or your teacher who taught you this?" the old woman asked in soft words, so soft that Sascha winced. What was the correct answer? Would he get her teacher in trouble with the old woman? Sascha didn't know, but she instinctively knew that she must be telling the truth.

As Sascha thought, Melida did too. If it was the Temple, she would have a word or two with the High Priest of the capital. Some secrets were best kept and the Forest Empire was one of them.

In ignorance there was happiness and humans were happier in the darkness of their little world.

"My teacher." Without knowing it, Sascha had saved the old leader of the Worldly Realm Spirit Temple with her words.

Instantly, the aura disappeared without a trace and the witch reverted to being a mere woman in appearance, frail for her age. Sascha wondered how many people had died under this misguided notion.

"I should have imagined it." The old woman snorted before continuing. "There are three earthly kingdoms and one hidden one. The invisible realm is the home of the Spirits. The forest is the place where both planes, earthly and spiritual come into contact, acting, as well as a bridge, the Spirits are free to come and go across the bridge. However, to be seen or not seen? It is something that they decide for themselves. "

The old woman's fingers pinched a petal from a gold-colored chrysanthemum-like flower. Melida and Sascha watched the glowing petal carefully until the old witch threw it into the cauldron.

When the liquid, hitherto undefined in color, came into contact with the spiritual golden chrysanthemum petal, its surface glowed faintly and ripples disturbed the surface.

Sascha instantly felt the fluctuations of power, as both substances collided and battled for supremacy. She also perceived how the witch directed her mana into the cauldron and controlled both powers with skill, in a short time both energies flowed into one.

Instantly, wonder entered Sascha's eyes. Melida, who was missing neither the rhyme nor the girl's reactions, made a sudden and impulsive decision.

"I can't take you as my apprentice, but how about this? Be my helper instead. "